Last year around this time, I posted a review of the StormBox Pro, a surprisingly good portable Bluetooth speaker from Tribit. I say “surprisingly” because until last year I had been only peripherally aware of the brand, and for the price, that speaker really impressed. Here’s the review if you’re interested. If you are looking for a portable speaker that’s a little showier—as in a built-in LED light show—Tribit has a nice option in the XSound Mega.
The “mega” isn’t a reflection of its size. A pill-shaped speaker just under 10-inches long and weighing 2.2 pounds, it’s actually quite compact. Despite this, Tribit includes a carrying strap in the box, along with the usual charging cable (USB-C) and 3.5mm AUX cable.
The “mega” reflects what it’s capable of, which is a lot. There’s the aforementioned LED light show. On the audio side, there are a pair of drivers driven by 30W of amplification, with three EQ sound modes. Battery life is rated at up to 20 hours. The 4,000mAh battery can even be used to top up a smartphone battery. It’s also IPX7 water-resistant. That means it’s not fully waterproof, but it can take being submerged in three feet of water for half an hour. I used it outside in the snow (spring testing in Canada) and later in the rain, with no ill effect.
Not bad for a speaker that just squeezes in under $100.
Audio Performance
The Tribit XSound Mega is hiding a pair of full-range titanium drivers behind its black metal speaker grill. One measures 50 x 50mm, the other 60 x 100mm. They are driven by a 30W amplifier, which means a lot of power in a small package. There are also three EQ modes that can be cycled from the on-speaker controls: Music, XBass, and Audiobook.
This marks the first time I’ve seen an audiobook setting on a portable, but I’m sure someone will use that. Music played on the Music setting sounded good, with clear high-frequency notes and some decent low end. However, my favorite setting by far was XBass. As you might expect, XBass pumped up the energy and boosted the low end. With XBass on and volume in the 30% to 60% range, the XSound Mega performs very well. This little speaker is not going to put your home stereo out of business, but it more than holds its own.
Integrated LED Lightshow
While the sound is much better than I would expect from a portable speaker of this size and price (something that’s becoming a Tribit hallmark), the LED light show is a pretty cool feature as well.
An LED strip wraps around the face of the speaker, below the grill. It utilizes the speaker’s microphone (also used for voice calls) to pulse the colored lights in time with the music being played. It’s actually pretty entertaining. If you’re not in the mood, the lights can be turned off.
Battery Life
Tribit rates the speaker at up to 20 hours of playback. The usual disclaimer about music volume impacting that number is in play, of course, but it was pretty spot on. In testing, I charged a smartphone from 0% to 100% using the speaker’s USB power output (there is both USB-A and USB-C available). It took about three hours and the XSound Mega kept playing for an additional eight hours after that. Definitely nothing to complain about when it comes to battery life.
Tribit XSound Mega Recommendation
If you are in the market for a compact portable Bluetooth speaker that sounds good, offers long battery life, is water-resistant—and puts on an LED light show to top it off—the Tribit XSound Mega is well worth considering.
Disclosure: Tribit provided an XSound Mega for evaluation purposes but had no input into this review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn affiliate fees from qualifying purchases.
